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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · land · game · leaves · roll · foot · pit · rest

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. foot — a measure
  6. game — a match
  7. rest — a break
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. land — ground
  12. pit — a hole
  13. roll — a cake
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pit — in a race
  16. roll — a list
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. land — to come down
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com